d-enham



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F; B. D'ENHAM. GAME APPARATUS. No. 406,632. Patented July 9, 1889.

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- FiTE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERIO B. DENHAM, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,632, dated July 9, 1889.

Application filed March 11, 1889. Serial No. 302,868. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERIO B. DENHAM, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Game Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a novel and instructive game, to which I purpose giving the name of Brax, or other title of substantially the same phonetic character, and adapted to be played by 011e, two, three, or four persons, who move pieces or men along readily-distinguishable borders or margin-lines of adjacent outline figures formed on a board somewhat like a chess-board, the object being to capture one series of pieces by the other. The game affords opportunities for playing in a simple way by children or young people, and also gives wide scope for the exercise of the highest degree of skill and scientific playing by adults.

The invention will first be described, and then will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved game-board in its preferred form and with the pieces or men shown in the positions they occupy at the commencement of a game. Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 illustrate parts of boards of modified arrangement, or with various forms of figures, on the borders or margin-lines of which the game may be played; and Fig. 6 is a detail diagram view showing that the borders or margins ofthe figures on the gameboard are not restricted to straight lines.

I will first particularly describe the invention with special reference to Fig. l of the drawings, and will then briefly refer to the other views in explanation of the modified arrangements of the game-board-which they disclose.

The board A, which forms the basis of the game, is very simple in construction or arrangement, and in the preferred form shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings is made of one piece or plate of pasteboard, wood, metal, or other material, and on its face is laid out in a series of adjoining square figures or spaces a, the

O, made heavy and light, respectively.

margins or borders of which are shown in two series of readily-distinguishable lines B In practice these margin or border lines tothe adjacent figures a will preferably be produced on the board in two readily-distinguishable colors, the lines having the same thickness. These margins or borders of the square figures are arranged to have three sides of each figure formed in one color or style and the fourth side in another color or style, and the halves of the game-board are arranged precisely alike or are constructed on a regular anduniform planthat is to say, each cubic line or border of one color or style on one-half of the board is offset by a cube line or border of the other color or style in a similar position on the opposite side of the board, so that the chances of the players are exactly even or balanced.

The game is played by moving opposing pieces or men from initial positions shown in the drawings and along the outlines or bor-' ders of the square figures, one set of men D being of one color or form and the other set of men E having a different color or form. Blue and red are the two preferred colors for the margins or borders of the cubical figures and for the men or pieces to be moved on their border-lines. For convenience in playing the game in certain ways I purpose leaving one side or face of the pieces or men plain or smooth, and giving their opposite sides or faces a readily-distinguishable ornamentation or impression by dies or otherwise. The opposite sides of the board from which the pieces or men are to begin moving are indicated by border-lines cl 6 of the same colors as the respective men and extending around one-half of the board A at or near its margin. It will also be understood that the game-board may be made to fold one or more times for greater convenience in laying it away or carrying it in the pocket.

The game is played by two persons, as follows: The opposing piecesD E are placed at the intersections of the outside base or back margin-lines or borders of the respective sides of the board, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawin gs. The chief or most importantrule of the game is that the pieces D E may move in any opposing pieces or men.

the same color as said pieces, for a distance spaces of their own color and for but one equal to the length of two sides of a square a, but may move a distance equaling the length of but one side of a square on the lines of the opposite or other color. For instance, the pieces D may be moved on the lines B of like color for two spaces, or a distance equaling the length of two sides of any one of the squares, but may move but one space on the lines 0 of the other color, while the pieces E may be moved two spaces on the lines C of like color and but one space on the lines B of the other color, a space being one side of one of the square figures of the board.

The object of the game is to capture all the A piece s captured when an opposing piece moves to a point occupied by it and the captured piece is removed from the board. Neither player is forced to take an opponents piece, this being optional. A piece is said to threaten another when it is in position from which it could in one move capture it. A player who threatens an op ponents piece may if he chooses call out Brax, which will compel his opponent to move the threatened piece at once, but a player can brax his opponents piece only immediately after he has moved some one of his own pieces. A player thus forced to move can move in any direction on the lines bordering the squares, and if he chooses, and it is within his reach, he can capture the piece which braxed him, it being understood that no piece can pass overa point occupied by another piece. When a player who calls Brax threatens two or more of his opponents pieces,the opponent can move whichever threatened piece he wishes, and the first player cannot again call Brax until after he has moved one of his pieces or men. A player who threatens an opponents piece may reserve his right to call Bi-ax until it is to his advantage to do so, when, if. the pieces are in the same positions, he may, after moving one of his pieces, call Brax and compel his opponent to move the threatened piece. A player may also move a piece to a point threatened by his opponent, who, after he has moved one of his pieces, may, if he chooses, call Brax, and thus force the threatened piece to move. A player may also move apiece to a point from which he threatens an other and is in turn threatened, and immediately call Brax, or the pieces can remain mutually threatpiece loses its power of braxing its opponents.

If it should happen that only one piece of each side remains on the board, and if after five moves on each side neither piece is taken, the game is a draw.

hen it is considered that the pieces or men may move on the border-lines of the squares or figures a in any .directiom-forward, backward, or sidewise-t'or one or two space of the other or opponents color, and when the peculiar advantages of calling out Brax by either player to compel movement of his opponents piece are availed of, it will be seen that numerous surprises are met by young players, who must guard against them, thus cultivating their faculties of foresight and judgment. Older players will find all their abilities exercised, because of the diversity of combinations that can be made for attack and defense and the great variety of situations the game affords, which necessitates judicious changes in the players plans, and they will discover that, while there is no point on the board where a single piece can remain in absolute safety from the attack of two opposing pieces, there are some points which it will be to their advantage to hold, if possible, and at the same time endeavor to prevent their opponents retaining similar positions of strength. The players will also see how a judicious exchange of pieces will often change the whole face of. the game by enablin g them to break into an opponents stronghold or divide his strength. They will also seethat by judicious use of brax they can often gain a move or save one of their own pieces from capture and obtain many other advantages. It will thus appear that, however simple the method of playing this game may be, itfurnishes scope for the exercise of the highest degree of skill and of scientific playing.

The game may be played by four persons, two on a side being allies, and each player using three pieces disposed at one side of the board, all four sides of the board thus being used, as the players move in turn. In this case the three pieces held by one person of a side will be blue played with the ornamented or marked side up, and his ally will play with three blue pieces set plain side up, and the opponents will play with red pieces, three -with the ornamented side up and three with the plain side uppermost: In a three-handed game two persons will play as allies, each using three pieces of the same color, but played, respectively, with plain and ornamented faces uppermost and the third person will play against these two allies withfive pieces of the other color and will make two moves with different pieces each time it is his turn to play. An interesting game may also be conducted by one player, who endeavors with one piece of one color to capture all opposing pieces of the other color, which are to be moved in a predetermined manner.

It is quite unnecessary to go into further details of the manner of playing the three and four handed games, as the general rules are the same as regards ability of the opposing pieces to move one or two spaces; but modified rules as to braxing an opponent will probably be adopted to make the game still more interesting, instructive, and helpful in the cultivation of the faculties of the players.

' As an example of the application of Brax, we will suppose that the second right-hand piece D had been moved onthe heavy line for two spaces, or to the point marked 1, and the third opposing piece E had been moved one space on a heavy line B to the point 2. The piece D is then moved one spaceonly on a light line C to the point 3. The piece E is then moved two spaces on light line C to the point 4. The piece D is then moved two spaces on heavy lines B to the point 5, and the piece E is next shifted by preference but one space on a light line from 4 to 6, and, as in this position it could capture by the'next move the opposing piece at 5, the player moving the piece E may, if hewishes, call Brax, which will compel the shifting of the piece D from the point 5 at least one space either to the right, left, or backward should the player shifting the piece E find it to his advantage to compel this movement.

I am not limited to a game-board laid out in square figures a bounded at. three sides by lines of one color or style and at the fourth side by a border of another color or style. For example, I may lay out the board in figures a of triangular form, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, said figures having two sides bounded by a border of like color or style and the third side by a different or readilydistinguishable border or margin. Fig. 3 of the drawings shows how the board maybe laid out in four-sided diamond-shaped figures a three sides of which are of one color or style and the fourth side or margin having a readily-distinguishable border or margin. Fig. 4 illustrates how the board may be laid out in a series of six-sided or hexagonal figures a four sides of which have margins or borders of one color or style, the other two sides having borders of a readilydistinguishable color or style, and Fig. 5 shows how the game-board may be laid out in a series of adjacent or adjoining octagonal figures a, six sides of which have margins or borders of one color or style, while their other two sides have borders of readily-distinguishable color or style. It is thus manifest that various forms of figures may be grouped in arranging a game-board according to my invention, and I am not limited to a group of adjacent figures having one side formed by a border or margin of one color or style and all the other sides having borders or margins of another readily-distinguishable color or style. It will be understood, however, that the game-board arranged. in a series of adjoining square figures a, as in Fig. 1, is preferred in practice.

Fig. 6 of the drawings shows diagrammatically that it is not necessary that the borders or marginal sides of the square or other shaped figures of the game-board should be formed as straight lines, as they may be curved or wavy or dotted or double, the only requirement being that the borders or margins of the figures be made readily distinguishable from each other at different sides of the figures or that the figures have in part a border or margin line or lines of one color or style and for the remaining part have a border or margin line or lines of another readily-distinguishable color or style, as will readily be understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A game-board made with a series of ad jacent figures, one part of each figure being formed by a line or lines of one color or style and the remaining part of each figure being formed by a line or lines of another color or style, said lines or colors being severally adapted to indicate the direction and extent of movement of the pieces or men used in playingthe game, substantially as herein set forth.

2. A game-board made with a series of adjacent figures, one part of each figure being formed by a line or lines of one color or style and the remaining part of each figure being formed by a line or lines of another color or style, combined with two or more series of readily-distingnishable' pieces or men adapted for movement on the boundary-lines of the figures of the board, substantially as herein set forth.

FREDERIC B. DENHAM.

Witnesses:

HENRY L. GooDwIN, EDGAR TATE. 

